Peek At The Week

We had a great week before our official winter break!

In Math, we worked on solving different types of story problems called problems with unknown change. They are a little challenging, but the students were catching on well. We also learned a new game called Cover Up.

The students played with a partner and decided upon a certain number of chips to use. Next, they would hide some chips and their partner had to guess how many chips were hidden based on what they could see. It was a fun game!

*See Fun Photos

In Social Studies, we learned about different holidays around the world. We read about several holidays and discussed which holidays we celebrate.

In Writing, we wrote a December Senses poem. We brainstormed the five senses and then the students used them to complete the poem. They were sent home in their backpack folders.

We had a great PJ day before vacation and did some fun holiday activities.

*See Fun Photos

We also made a special gift for all of our parents! I hope you like it!

Have a wonderful holiday and vacation with your family!

I can’t believe it is almost 2013!

-Mrs. Farrand J

Peek At The Week

The kids are definitely excited for upcoming events this month!

We had another great week of learning together.

In Math, we solved a lot of story problems for addition and subtraction. We learned to use tens and ones for adding and keeping the number whole for subtraction. They are really catching on quickly and they are able to solve problems faster, which is great!

In Science, we played Reptile Jeopardy to review for the test. It was the Snazzy Snapping Turtles against the Cool Crocodilians. It was a very close score and the students definitely studied. We took our reptile test on Wednesday and everyone did an excellent job.

This week we went to the computer lab and Mrs. Weldon taught us how to log in to the computers using a special id number and we also logged into our own gmail accounts. Then the students used Google Docs to type up a descriptive paragraph they each had written about me. Some were able to finish and bring the paragraph home today, but others still need to finish typing.  Soon they’ll learn how to share their documents with me too!

It was nice to have them practice their typing skills and getting used to logging in to use the computers. Plus, they certainly knew a lot about me! J

Have a wonderful weekend! We might even see some snow!

-Mrs. Farrand J

Peek At The Week

 What a nice way to start the week. I had a great time speaking with all of you about your child’s progress. They are all making very nice progress.

In Math, we learned a new game called Close to 20. The students had to lay out 5 cards from the deck and choose 3 cards that will get them the closest to 20. The player with the lowest score after 5 rounds wins. It was definitely the luck of the draw for some players. They had fun! We also solved number strings and took a short assessment that was sent home in their backpack folders today. We also practiced flash cards with near doubles. (ex: 5+4 or 9+8)

*See Fun Photos

In Science, we learned fun facts about lizards. We also read about lizards and salamanders. We then compared lizards and salamanders using a Venn Diagram. We learned that there are no lizards living in Burlington.

We also learned about the 5 Burlington reptiles. They are the spotted turtle, snapping turtle, water snake, garter snake, and black racer snake. We made a mini book to help us remember. We also presented our reptile reports. All the students had really interesting facts to share with the class and did a great job on their presentations.

The students took home their reptile folders today and also the study guide for the reptile test next Wednesday. Please help your child study for the test.

In Writing, we practiced writing friendly letters to our parents. Look for your child’s letter in their backpack folder today.

We had a fun time with our 5^th grade buddies today. Miss C read everyone a story and then they wrote an acrostic poem about December.

Also, if you would like to order any Scholastic Books, please order by December 14th.

Have a great weekend!

-Mrs. Farrand J

Peek At The Week

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving with your family! We had another super week!

In Math, we started Unit 3 called Stickers, Number Strings, and Story Problems. We started by talking about the order of adding numbers. We also solved number strings by looking for combinations of ten or doubles, since those are easier to solve first.

We played a new game called Beat the Calculator to help solve number strings too. The students took turns being “The Brainiac” or “The Calculator Kid.”  It was fun to see who could solve the problems first.

*See Fun Photos

In Science, Miss P from the Science Center delivered a new, cute class pet. It is a 3 month old snapping turtle named Crush. We are so excited to have him in our class!  We watched a video called All About Reptiles to see how many new facts we learned. We also learned about crocodilians. We read about alligators and crocodiles. Then we used the information to compare them using a Venn Diagram.

In Writing, we worked on descriptive paragraph writing. The students had to use senses to describe me and then they drew a picture. They did a nice job painting a picture for the reader. They certainly know a lot about me! We will type them up soon when we visit the computer lab.

In Reading, my groups read about Squanto and Pocahontas. We answered questions about each story and compared the books too. We also finished Unit 5 in Fundations.

In the Backpack Folders today there is a special notice about a reading club after school with Mrs. Warford for grade 2 and 3. It sounds like it will be really fun! Please check the blue flyer for more information.

Thanks so much for visiting our school Book Fair and thank you for purchasing some books from my wish list for the classroom. I love getting new books to share!

The last day to buy books at school will be on Monday, December 3^rd during conferences. It is open in the morning until 3:30 p.m.

Have a fantasic weekend!

-Mrs. Farrand J

Peek At The Week

We had another fast and fabulous week!

In Math, we worked on more mirror symmetry using pattern blocks and creating a construction paper shape creation. We also made symmetrical turkeys. It was challenging, but fun! We have finished Unit 2 on shapes and geometry and will begin Unit 3 after we return from Thanksgiving break.

*See Fun Photos

In Writing, we wrote descriptive paragraphs about a special person that we know well and we are thankful for. I modeled this by writing about my husband. They liked this! First, they made a list of things they see, hear, and know about the person before writing. They did a nice job describing their special person to paint a picture with words for the reader.

*Check their backpack folder

We had Library on Tuesday and found out that our school Book Fair will be taking place the week after Thanksgiving. We will be attending the Book Fair during our normal scheduled time on Tuesday 11/27 at 9:30 a.m.

You can send in money for your child to buy books.

     The Book Fair will also be open during parent conferences on Monday, Dec. 3^rd or you can order books online at scholastic.com/fair 

You will click on Massachusetts, then Burlington, then Memorial Elementary School.

I hope you all have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving! I am certainly thankful for each student in my class!

-Mrs. Farrand J

Peek At The Week

We had a short week, but it was fun filled!

In Math, we took an addition fact test. They only get 2 ½ minutes to solve 30 problems. The students are getting better, so I think the Xtra Math online is helping! We also worked to groups to show the area of different rectangles. They worked nicely together. We also learned about mirror symmetry. I read a book called Let’s Go Fly A Kite as an introduction to symmetry. Then we chose 4 objects to create that were all symmetrical. They will be bringing them home today.

*See Fun Photos

In Science, we continued learning about reptiles. We focused on turtles this week by reading a turtle types poem. We also read about sea turtles and made a sea turtle life cycle. We even had a star reader read about a sea turtle’s journey.

In Writing, we worked on Leader/Follower ideas and wrote friendly letters to our parents about our week. We tried to use good details. I think they did a fabulous job! Look for the letters in their backpack folder today.

We also earned another 25 class compliments, so we voted and got to have extra recess outside. What a great way to celebrate our accomplishment! My class works so hard!

I am so proud!

Have a fabulous weekend!

-Mrs. Farrand J

Peek At The Week

We had another great week of learning together!

In Math, we practiced building rectangles with tiles and we wrote rectangle riddles for other students to solve. It was fun to try and solve all the riddles! We also took some assessments about what is a rectangle is and how many faces are on a shape. We made rectangular prism boxes with a partner too! They used great teamwork!

*See Fun Photos

In Science, we started a new unit on reptiles. They knew a lot of facts and were so excited to learn more, which is wonderful! We went over the special reptile characteristics and learned about the four main groups. The four groups are turtles, crocodilians, snakes, and lizards. We also made a cool folder and sorted reptiles into different categories. We read some cool books too!

In Writing, we worked on persuasive writing. We talked about our opinions and how we can try to convince someone else to think the way we do. Next, we chose a topic from a cup such as crayons or staplers. Then we wrote about how useful the objects are and why we are thankful for them. They all did a nice job with their ideas!

*See Fun photos

In Reading, my groups are wrapping up Mr. Putter and Tabby Pick the Pears and Henry and Mudge Under the Yellow Moon. We are working on sequencing a story and comparing and contrasting using a Venn diagram.

We also read books with our 5^th grade buddies!

In the backpack folders today you will find the Parent Conference Confirmation paper. Please check over your day and time to make sure it still works for you.

Remember there will be no school Monday for Veteran’s Day and then the teachers will have Professional Development on Tuesday, so I will see the students on Wednesday.

I hope you have a wonderful, long weekend!

-Mrs. Farrand  J

Well, we certainly had a wild week of weather!  Here are some things we did in our short week.

In Math, we sorted quadrilaterals and discussed right angles. We also talked about how a shape is a rectangle if it has 4 straight sides and 4 right angles. Also, the students worked with a partner to sort rectangle shapes from biggest to smallest. They used tiles to find the area of each rectangle after they made predictions. They pretended the tiles were pieces of chocolate bars. The students discovered that the tiles helped us to know how to determine the biggest or smallest chocolate bar.

In Science, we wrapped up our science unit on trees and took our tree test. They did a great job. Thank you for helping your child study using the guide. We also did a cool museum walking tour in our classroom to examine and answer questions about our family trees.  It was really fun!  They posters were very creative!

On Wednesday, we had our vocabulary parade. We had so much fun parading around the school as verbs!

*Check the fun photos from this week’s activities.

Today we had a school assembly where the 5^th graders gave us information about President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. Next, the students secretly voted and we will know who won the election on Monday. The results should be interesting.

Have a nice weekend!

-Mrs. Farrand J

 

We Love School Song

The students learned this song in September. I filmed them today.
They sang it from memory. I love it and hope you do too! I'm sorry the images of
them aren't clearer!

Peek At The Week

How do the weeks go by so quickly? I can’t believe October is nearing an end!

We had another wonderful week of learning together.

In Math, we continued in Unit 2 learning about shapes and geometry. We read The Greedy Triangle and learned about different 2-D shapes around us and how many sides and angles they have. We also did some fun 3-D shape activities using geo blocks to find the faces of 3-D shapes and we drew shape structures. We also did a fun activity using pattern blocks called Ways to Fill. *Check fun photos!

In Science, we learned about the special inside parts of a tree. We made a tree book to help us remember. We also read A Tree Is Nice and wrote 3 different reasons why trees are nice or important. We watched a short video about terrific trees and we even had one student dress up as a tree to help us review the parts. It was so fun!  *Check fun photos!

*The tree test will be on Tuesday, October 30^th. The study guide went home on Thursday. Please help your child study.  The family tree project is also due Tuesday as well.

In Writing, we read a story by Donald Crews called Big Mama’s. It is about the author visiting his grandmother in the summer. Next, we wrote about places or people we like to visit in the summer too. They did a nice job!

In Fundations, we have started Unit 4, which teaches the students about plurals and suffixes. They are practicing and remembering the rules, which is awesome!

On Wednesday 10/31, we will have our vocabulary parade, which will begin at 8:45 a.m.  Parents are welcome to come to school and cheer on your favorite verb word! Students can bring their costumes in a bag to school. Let me know if you have any questions!

 

Have a nice weekend!

-Mrs. Farrand J

 

 

 

Peek At The Week

October is one of my favorite months. I love to watch the changing colors of the leaves and the kids have been enjoying the mild weather.

In Math, we have finished Unit 1 and have started Unit 2 called Shapes, Blocks, and Symmetry. We began by working on fact families and how we can build addition and subtraction equations using just 3 numbers. We also started learning about 2-D shapes. We will look more at 2D and 3D shapes next week and as we continue in Unit 2.

In Science, we read about different kinds of trees around the world. We also made a cool pop-up paper and read information comparing deciduous and evergreen trees. It was fun! We also read a poem about the changing season of an apple tree. We will go over the special tree parts next week.

*Remember to help your child with their Family Tree Project due on Tuesday, October 30^th.

In Writing, we learned about 4 different types of sentences. We talked about statements, questions, commands, and exclamatory sentences.

We watched a cool Brain Pop Jr. video to help us learn more too!

Today the students wrote narrative stories about their best friends. They had to include details about what their best friend looks like, what they like to do together, and why they are best friends. They also created a picture of their best friend. They did a great job.

In FUNdations, we finished Unit 3 on closed syllable exceptions and have started Unit 4 which reviews plural words and explains rules for when to use different suffix endings such as s, es, ing, ed, er, and est.

The class is doing a great job earning “spots” on their dogs in order to get rewarded for great behavior. We also are continuing to earn class compliments to earn another class reward when we reach 50! I’m so proud!

The kids were so excited to begin reading buddies. We met with our 5^th grade reading buddies today. The 5^th graders interviewed their buddy or buddies and then they read books together. *Check out the pictures of our new buddies in fun photos!

Have a great weekend!

-Mrs. Farrand J

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peek At The Week

We had a shorter week, but we were still learning a lot!

In Math, we worked on story problems using TIPS. We learned about how to show our work using different strategies such as pictures, tally marks, the bumpy road, tens and ones, and keeping the number whole. They are doing a nice job.

We also read a story called Two of Everything.   In the story, there is a magic pot that whatever gets put in, doubles. We wrote our own magic pot problems too! We also learned 2 new games to help with our doubles facts called Double It and Double Arrays.

In Fundations, we are learning and practicing closed syllable exceptions. We will continue to work on this next week too.

 

In Writing, we practiced writing stories. We also wrote a friendly letter to our parents about our week in school. They did a nice job.

*Look for your child's letter in the backpack folder.

In Social Studies, we learned about Christopher Columbus. We read about him, watched a short video, and learned a fun song.

In Science, we have started learning about trees. The two types we are learning about are deciduous and evergreen. I hope you saw the special notice about the family tree project. It is one of my favorite projects in second grade. They are due on October 30^th.

*Also, we are participating in a school wide vocabulary parade on October 31^st. Your child will be dressing up as a special verb word.

*Please look for the notice in your child’s backpack folder for more information. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Have a nice weekend!

-Mrs. Farrand J

Compliments Reward

Our class has been working hard at collecting compliments. We earned 25 baseballs. We took  a vote and we decided to have a stuffed animal day tomorrow. The students can bring in a small stuffed animal to share. They are showing great teamwork! I am proud of them! :)

Family Tree Project

I sent home a special Family Tree project for our class today. Please check the green paper in your child's folder. I am attaching the letter below, as well as some picture examples of other family trees for ideas.

Creativity is encouraged! :)

 

Dear Families,

      Our study of trees will branch out into the realm of FAMILY TREES.  Please help your child create a family tree of his or her own.  We will also use this project to begin discussing different cultures found in our community and classroom.

*This project is due on Tuesday, October 30th.*

 Guidelines:

1.     Make a tree on a piece of thin poster board or large sturdy paper.  The poster or paper needs to be no larger than 16X20 inches.  They will be displayed in the classroom and wall space is very limited.  You can use any medium you would like. Suggestions: crayons, markers, paint, fabric, wallpaper etc.

2.    Glue actual photos or create illustrations of family members to branches or leaves.

3.    Write each person’s name below his or her picture.

4.    Family members must include: your child, siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles.  Cousins are optional.

 

 

Peek At The Week

Happy October!  We had another great week of learning together.

In Math, we played More Than 2 to Make 10 with a partner. It was hard, but fun. We also practiced our math facts and learned about different addition and subtraction strategies to use when solving story problems. Also, we had another Pocket Day. It is always exciting to count all of our pockets! *Don't forget to have your child practice their math facts on Xtra Math.

In Science, we had a special visit from Mr. Muscleman from the Science Center. He taught our class about pumpkins, fire, and did a really cool experiment.

*See some pictures in the fun photos. 
      We also wrapped up our unit on amphibians by watching a movie and taking our test. All of the students did a wonderful job! Thank you for helping them study!

In Social Studies, we talked and read about “Classroom Manners” and how important they are at home and at school. The students are working hard earning class compliments as well. We have almost reached our goal of 25 baseballs. I am proud of their effort.

In Literacy, we began switching classrooms for Fundations and Reading. The students have been learning new routines and getting to know each other and their new teachers.  It has been nice getting to know more second graders. We have been practicing our centers and learning about “Lucky Books.”  My homeroom class also learned about different types of sentences and how to stretch a sentence to make it super.

 I hope you all have a super long weekend. Remember there is no school on Monday 10/8 for Columbus Day.

-Mrs. Farrand J

Peek At The Week

It was so great to meet all of you last night. I had a nice time and I hope you did too!
We had another busy week. Here is a snapshot of what we did.

In Math, we learned two new tens games called Make Ten and Tens Go Fish. These games are meant to help the students with their tens combinations. This is something your child can play with you at home. Ask your child how to play. They liked playing!

In Literacy, we wrote verb poems that describe us. They used great details and are hanging above their lockers, so I hope you got a chance to see them.  We also learned about awesome adjectives by doing a fun puzzle activity with a partner. 
      We completed Frog and Toad are Friends too. We listened to the author Arnold Lobel read the last three stories. The students worked on maps, designed bathing suits for Toad, wrote an ad to sell their special bathing suit, and we learned the 5 parts of a friendly letter. They wrote really sweet letters to me about how much they love second grade so far! They were very touching.

In Science, we continued to learn about amphibians.  Miss P came in to review some facts and we watched our American Toads eat crickets with their sticky tongues. It was very cool! The students named our toads Tom and Jerry. *Check out the fun photos to see some shots of them.
We also learned about the life cycle of a frog and the  5 Burlington amphibians. We made a life cycle wheel and a little booklet.
*The students will be having their test next Wed. October 3rd. Please help them study their facts.

I hope you have an excellent weekend despite the rain. It is a great time to snuggle up with a blanket and a book. :)

-Mrs. Farrand

Peek at the Week

We have had a great week! I can't believe how fast September is moving!

In Literacy, we have started reading Frog and Toad are Friends. We discussed what it means to be a good friend and we enjoyed reading "Spring" and "The Story" in the book so far. The students really enjoy them! We also have been learning about nouns and verbs. We used puzzles with a partner to find nouns and verbs. It was really fun!

In Math, we used magnifying glasses to examine real coins and talk about the values of each coin.
We learned how to play Collect 25 cents with a partner too. We also worked on counting by having "Pocket Day" and we wrote numbers on counting strips.

In Science, we have been continuing to learn about amphibians. We read about frogs and toads and did a fun Venn Diagram activity to compare them. We also received some special toads from the Science Center. It was very exciting!

In Social Studies, we learned about schools from the past in the United States and how they differ from the schools today. We even learned about how one school in South Korea uses a robot to teach students english. That was very interesting.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and I look forward to meeting you all on Thursday night 9/27.

Mrs. Farrand :)

My Super Students and Me

Four Days Flew By!

We have had a great start to the new school year!! All of the students are working so hard and I am really proud of their effort. We are learning and practicing the routines in the classroom. We also brainstormed our classroom rules and signed our names to agree to follow them.
 
I love reading stories and I am so happy that my students love listening to stories too! One of my favorite books is Odd Velvet. After reading, we had a terrific talk about what it means to treat other people and not judge them before truly getting to know them. We also discussed how we are each valuable, special, and unique. We drew pictures and used different adjectives to describe ourselves. Each child did a nice job!
 
Please look for your child's Backpack Folder today. All of the office documents along with some of our first week's papers can be found inside.
Please return the bright orange blog permission slip by Friday, September 14th.
 
I look forward to meeting many of you at our Open House in a few weeks. Until then, feel free to enter your email at the right of the blog for updates from our classroom blog sent directly to your email.
 
 
Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Farrand :)

First Day of School!

Welcome back to a brand new school year! I am so excited to be starting my fifth year teaching second grade. We had a wonderful first day getting to know each other. We met as a whole school in the cafe and talked about our Memorial School Promise and Expectations. We will be discussing and practicing expectations this week as we prepare our learning environment in our classroom. We read the book First Day Jitters and talked about how we felt today. Most of us were very excited!!

Also, Backpack Folders went home today with important paperwork. Please fill out all the forms and return them as soon as possible. On the white form, please make check to make sure everything is correct and make changes if necessary. Thank you for your help in completing the forms.

It is going to be a great year!

Mrs. Farrand :)